A Happy Ending for the Jews
1 Before the end of the day, King Xerxes gave Esther everything that had belonged to Haman, the enemy of the Jews. Esther told the king that Mordecai was her cousin. So the king made Mordecai one of his highest officials 2 and gave him the royal ring that Haman had worn. Then Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman's property.
3 Once again Esther went to speak to the king. This time she fell down at his feet, crying and begging, “Please stop Haman's evil plan to have the Jews killed!” 4 King Xerxes held out the golden scepter to Esther, 5 and she got up and said, “Your Majesty, I know that you will do the right thing and that you really love me. Please stop what Haman has planned. He has already sent letters demanding that the Jews in all your provinces be killed, 6 and I can't bear to see my people and my own relatives destroyed.”
7 King Xerxes then said to Esther and Mordecai, “I have already ordered Haman to be hanged and his house given to Esther, because of his evil plans to kill the Jews. 8 I now give you permission to make a law that will save the lives of your people. You may use my ring to seal the law, so that it can never be changed.”
9 On the twenty-third day of Sivan, the third month, the king's secretaries wrote the law. They obeyed Mordecai and wrote to the Jews, the rulers, the governors, and the officials of all 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia. The letters were written in every language used in the kingdom, including the Jewish language. 10 They were written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with his ring. Then they were taken by messengers who rode the king's finest and fastest horses.
11-13 In these letters the king said:
On the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month, the Jews in every city and province will be allowed to get together and defend themselves. They may destroy any army that attacks them, and they may kill all of their enemies, including women and children. They may also take everything that belongs to their enemies.
A copy of this law is to be posted in every province and read by everyone.
14-15 Then the king ordered his messengers to take their fastest horses and deliver the law as quickly as possible to every province. When Mordecai left, he was wearing clothes fit for a king. He wore blue and white robes, a large gold crown, and a cape made of fine linen and purple cloth.
After the law was announced in Susa, everyone shouted and cheered, 16 and the Jews were no longer afraid. In fact, they were very happy and felt that they had won a victory.
17 In every province and city where the law was sent, the Jews had parties and celebrated. Many of the people in the provinces accepted the Jewish religion, because they were now afraid of the Jews.
Bajuta banozwigwila
1 Mu zhuba ilelo zwalo Mambo Ahasurusi kapa Nfumakadzi Esita zose zwakabe ili zwa Hamani tjita tje Bajuta. Mu tjibaka itjetjo Modekayi kazha mbeli kwa mambo ngobe Esita wakabe atjibudza mambo kuti iye Esita unozwalana tjini na Modekayi. 2 Ngono mambo wakatola ring'i ina itempa tjitje yaakabe atola muna Hamani ngono kaipa Modekayi. Kudwapo Esita kabiga Modekayi ntjengeti we thundu dzakabe dzili dza Hamani. 3 Ipapo kakale Esita kayenda kunolebeleka na mambo kakale, kaswika kanthingamila ekumbila mambo nge moyo uwe wose kuti mambo amise nkumbulo wa Hamani we Agagi wekuti Bajuta babulawe. 4 Ngono mambo katambunudzila swimbgwana iye ye bushe yakathamwa nge golide kuna Esita, 5 ngono Esita kamilika kati, “Tetshi wangu, ha kumushathisa kakale mubona kwakamululwamila kakale muna hanya nami, itini kube ne nkwalo unomisa hwalo dzakakwagwa ndi Hamani we N'agagi nkololo wa Hamedatha, dzaakakwala elaula kuti Bajuta bose bamu ntuthu wa mambo babulawe. 6 Dumbu, dumbu ndingadzikitadza tjini wale ha bathu bakanyi kwangu ne makamu angu bawigwa nge tjingapa kene?” 7 Ngono Mambo Ahasurusi kadwa Nfumakadzi Esita na Modekayi we Njuta kati, “Bonani, ndapa Esita thundu ya Hamani, iye wasungiligwa mu thungamakole ngekwe kubulaya Bajuta kukwe. 8 Ndizo iwe ungakwala ngekwe Bajuta sekwa unoshaka, ube uloba itempa tjimu ring'i yangu, nkwalo wakabigwa itempa tjangu akuna ungautjinyulula.”
9 Yezwi ndizwakashingikala mu zhuba le bumakumi mabili ana mazhuba matatu mu mwedzi we butatu unodang'wa Sivani: Modekayi wakadana bakwalili ba mambo kalaula kuti bakwalile Bajuta ne batungamili ne balauli ne makulukota e mituthu yose ili zana lina makumi mabili ana ili kutendeka (127), kutangisa mu Indiya kunoti ku Itopiya. Ntuthu mmwe ne mmwe ukwaligwa ne nkwalo nenge lulimi gwawo. 10 Nkwalo wakabe uli mu zina la Mambo Ahasurusi kakale wakabigwa itempa tje ring'i yabo, hwalo dzakatumiligwa nge batumwa be mbizi dzakanaka dzakatogwa muna dze danga le bushe.
11 Hwalo idzedzi dzakabe dzipa Bajuta bakabe bali mu mizi yakasiyana siyana simba le kuti bazwigwile ne kukolomodza ne kubulaya babhayani bamwe ne bamwe mu mituthu yakasiyana siyana bangadwa beshaka kubagwisa, babulayilanye kose nenge bakadzi babo ne bana babo ne kubatapila thundu dzabo. 12 Ndaulo iyeyi yakabe yakafanila shingikadziwa mu mituthu yose ya Mambo Ahasurusi mu zhuba le bugumi lina butatu le mwedzi we bugumi lina mibili unodang'wa mwedzi we Ada. 13 Ntutshi we tjakabe tjakwagwa wakabe wakafanila kuti upaladziwe uli nlayo mu mituthu yose ne mu njudzi dzose, kuti ndizo Bajuta babe bakazwilulwamisila kubgwilizila zwita zwabo. 14 Ndizo nge ndaulo ya mambo, batumwa bakatola mbizi dze bushe dzina lubilo ngono tjinyolotjonyolotjo ndaulo ikaandamisiwa mu nzi nkulu Susa. 15 Kudwa ipapo Modekayi kamilika pana mambo akaambala hazu ye bushe ye mbala we gova ne butjena ne tjiala tjikulu tje golide ne ngubo yakathamiwa nge jila lakanaka le mbala nshaba wakabondelela. Bathu be nzi nkulu Susa bakabe bakashatha bepululudza. 16 Ngobe Bajuta bakabe balizhele kushatha batjisununguka kakale bekudziwa pamwe ne pamwe. 17 Ngono mu ntuthu mmwe ne mmwe ne mu nzi mmwe ne mmwe wayisiwa ndaulo ne nlayo ya Mambo Bajuta bakabe ne gudzo ne shatho ngono bakathama zhuba le nzano. Ipapo bathu be njudzi dzipoga bakazwidana Bajuta ngobe bakabe botjibatja.